Apparatus for recovering precious metals.



PATENTBD JUNE 12, 1906.

E. J. GARVIN. APPARATUS FOR REGOVERING PRECIOUS METALS.

APPLIUATIOH FILED JAILIS, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOI? 6 ATTORNEY cf Gare/in.

58 Edward M BY duwbi MJ p Malt/$ No. 822,940. PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906.

E. J. GARVIN. APPARATU8 FOR REOOVERING PRECIOUS METALS.

APPLIUATIDN FILED JAN 15, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

'uicl-i.

1 l T r 1 z 1 J! WITNESSES: L33 NI/Emmi? M Edward (I flan/1m ,M A.- W 0W A U ORNEYJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. GARVIN, or PORTLAND, canoes, ASSIGNOR TO THE eanvnv cram s EXTRACTION couranr, or PORTLAND, ossoon, a con- PORATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed January 16, 1906. Serial No. 296,149.

To all whom it Til/(Ly concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. GARVIN, residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Recovering Precious Metals, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in apparatus for recovering precious metals from ore solutions and ores; and in its generic nature the invention consists in an improved precipitating tank for the solution and ore.

In its more detailed nature the invention comprises certain new and useful improve ments over my Patent No. 809,939, issued January 16, 1906.

Primarily my invention has for its object to provide means for feeding the material into the main tank and spreading the same at the bottom thereof, so that a complete agitation of the materials in the main tank is insured; and the invention also has for its object to provide a precipitating-tank of greater ca acity per unit S126 than a pears in my app 'cation hereinbeiore referre to.

With other objects in view than have heretofore been s ecnied the invention comprises certain novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first ascribed in detail and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, refcrence being had to the accompanying drawin s, in whichigure 1 is a side elevation of m apparatus complete. Fig. 2 is a vertical ongitiidinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the preci itating-tank. Fig. 4 1s a vertical longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the accompan 'ng drawings, in which like numerals an letters of reference indicate like parts in all of the figures, 1 designates a receptacle or tank of an desired shape, with a sloping or approximately conical bottom 1, as shown. The tank 1 is mounted upon a suitable supportlug-frame, includin standards and crossbraces, and the said tank'has an outlet 1 near its surface, at one side thereof, which communicates with the inlet 3 of a tank 3, hereinafter known as the precipitatingtank. The precipitating-tank 3 in my present invention comprises a housing or casing of substantially rectan lar form, having an outlet 3*, with which t e oii'take-pipe 6 connects. The offtake-pipe 6 has a valve 6 similar to that shown in my application above referred to.

Within the tank 3 are mounted a pair of parallelly-disposed shafts 5 5, mounted in suitable bearing ortions in the end walls of the tank 3, and is less shafts 5 5 respectivel carry sprocket-wheels 5 5, which are ad justabl secured to the shafts 5 5, respect tively, y the collars 5 5 and the securingbolts carried thereby, as shown. Over the sprocket-wheels 5 5 endless chains 5 5 pass, and these chains 5' carry suitablyspaced cop er strips 5*, which are secured at their on s to sprocket-chains 5, and form an endless conve er-like device which is movable around t e shafts 5 5 by motion imparted to the shaft 5 through any suitable drive-pulley 50, as shown, the shaft 5 assing through the stuffing-box 45, secure to the tank 3. The bottom of the tank 3 is formed semicircular in cross-section, as at 3, similarly to that shown in my application above referred to. and in this form of my invention the shaft 5 is set eccentrically to the center of curvature of the bottom 3". An ofltakepipe 20 communicates with the bottom of the tank, through the medium of which the contents of the tank can be withdrawn when a cleaning up is desired. The end walls of the casing 3 are formed with vertical grooves 3, spaced a art to receive the anode-plates 4 4 arrange one on each side of the endless cathode, and the plates 4 4 extend downwardly into the tank 3 and are spaced with their lower ends above the bottom thereof, while the upper ends of the plates are electrical] connected together, as at 4*, and to the positive pole of any suitable source pf electric energy. Between the plate 4 ad acent the outlet of the tank 3 an the'endless cathode I dispose a plate 4*, whose lower edge its n a roove 13 in the bottom of the tank and w ose up or edge terminates at a point be low the 1 et of the tank 3, as shown, so that.

the liquid as it enters the tank 3 through the inlet 3 will follow the course indicated by the arrows inFig. 5 and pass out through the outlet 3". The plate 4 is in electrical connection with the mercury M and serves as a supplementary cathode-plate, as well as serv ing to aid to direct the liquid in the direction of the arrows. The tank 1 is provided with an offtake pipe 8 at the bottom thereof, which connects through a valve 8 with the unction member 7, to which junction memer 7 the pi e 6 also connects through a lateral 6, as s iown. The junction member 7 is connected through a pipe 10 with the pump 11, that is driven by the drive-pulley 11 similar to the manner disclosed in my copending application hereinbefore referred to.

12 designates a pipe which connects with the pump 11 and extends upwardly toward the top of the tank 1, and the said pipe 12 is provided with an outlet 12, which discharges into the amalgamating-tank 13, as shown.

The amalgamating-tank 13 is of the same construction as that shown in my application hereinbefore referred to, and a detail descrip tion thereof is thought to be unnecessary in this application.

9 designates an ofl'take-pipe, also connected to the junction member 7 and also provided with a cut-off valve 9", by means of which the tank 1 and the pipes 6 and 12 can be drained. Within the tank 1, and supported on the bottom thereof by suitable legs or standards 30, is a cone-shaped member 30,adapted to cooperate with the funnel 25, that is suspended within the tank 1 by the hooks held over the upper edge of the tank, and the funnel 25 has its discharge-spout 25 arranged to dischar e the material from the tank 13 into the tan 1 ata point below the outlet of the said tank 1 directly over the apex of the cone 30. The hopper or funnel 25 serves to dischar e the pulp and solution received from the ank 13 at a point directly over the apex of the cone in the bottom of the tank and also serves to carry the pulp to a depth in the tank below the discharge into the precipitating-tank, as before stated, so that the coarser particles will not raise and pass through the precipitating-tank. The cone 30 serves to eep the pulp from funneling or discharging from the center of the tank or leaving the outer edges without being circulated.

My invention operates in the same manner as that disclosed in my co ending application before referred to, with t e exception that in lieu of the cylindrical cathode 5 of m former application the endless-chain catho e of the present application is substituted. During the operation of my present invention mercury M is placed in the tank 3, as indicated, and also in the tank 13, as indicated, for serving the same functions as in In application above referred to, the pulp an solution being indicated b P and S, respectively, in the drawings. the endless cathode is operated the various metallic strips 5 will be immersed in the mercury M in the tank 3 ina manner similar to the operation of the cathode roller 5 in my application hereinbefore referred to, and

b use of the endless-chain cathode herein disclosed I am enabled to obtain a greater cathode-surface than is possible in my copending application.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought the complete construction, operation, and many advantages of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

What I claim is l 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a main tank for receiving the pulverized ore and solvent, of a precipitating-tank, including means for separating the material, attached to the main tank near its top, and an amalgamating-tank including means for amalgamating the material suspended above the Inain tank, a hopper or funnel suspended within the main tank, and a spreading-cone on the bottom of the main tank, and means for causing a continuous circulation of the materials and solution through said tanks.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a main tank and a precipitating-tank into which the main tank discharges and an amalgamatingtank which discharges into the main tank, and means for causing a continuous circulation of fluids through said tanks, of a funnel-shaped hopper suspended within the main tank and discharging at a point below the outlet to the main tank, substantially as shown and described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a main tank and a precipitating-tank into which the main tank discharges and an amalgamating-tank which discharges into the main tank, and means for causin a continuous circulation of fluids throug said tanks, of a funnel-shaped hopper suspended within the main tank and discharging at a point below the outlet to the main tank, and a cone-shaped spreader su portable in the bottom of the main tank irectly under the suspended funnel, substantially as shown and described.

4. In an'apparatus of the class described, the combination with a main tank and a precipitating-tank into which the main tank discharges, and an amalgamating-tank which discharges into the main tank and means for causing a continuous circulation of fluids through said tanks, of a cone-shaped spreader supportable on the bottom of the tank, substantially as shown and described.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a main tank and an amalgamating-tank dischargin into the main tank, of a recipitating-tan into which the main tank ischarges, said precipitating tank comprisin a rectangular casing, a pair of shafts space apart and rotatably mounted in the casing, sprocket-wheels carried by said shafts, endless chains taking over said connecting said endless chains, means or turning said shafts on their axes, a pair of anode-plates roj ected downwardly into said casing with t eir lower edges above the bottom thereof, a su plemental, plate projected upward from the bottom of said casing with its upper edges below the upper edge of the casing, a mercuryocket at the bottom of said oasin into wh ch the endless chains and the metal 0 strips are adapted to dip, an outlet for said casing, and means for causing a continuous circ ation of fluids through all of said tanks, substantially as shown and described.

6. In an apparatusof the class described, a tank or receptacle, said tank or receptacle having a concaved bottom, a rotatable shaft mounted within said receptacle near the bottom, a similar shaft mounted in said rece tacle near the to sprocket-wheels carrie by said shafts, endless chains passing over-said sprocket-wheels, and a lurality of metallic strips carried by said on less chains, said concaved bottom adapted to hold an amalgamat- I ing substance, said strips adapted to be passed through said amalgamating substance,

and means for rotating said shafts to carry said strips through said amalgamating substance, substantially as shown and described.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, a tank or receptacle, said tank or receptacle having a eoncaved bottom, a rotatable shaft mounted within said receptacle near the bottom, a similar shaft mounted in said rece tacle near the to sprocket-wheels carrie by said shafts, on less chains passing over said sprocket-wheels, and a lurality of metallic strips carried by said an ess chains, said concaved bottom adapted to hold an amal amatin substance, said strips adapted to be passe through said amalgamating substance means for rotati said shafts to carry said strips through sai amal amating substance, a pair of anodelates he (1 within said receptacle and space from the bottom thereof, a supplemental plate held within said receptacle with its upper edge below the upper edge of the firstqhentioned anode-plates and its lower ed 0 engaging the bottom of the receptacle, su stantiall as shown and described.

DWARD J. GARVIN. Witnesses:

R. W. WILBUR, LEsTER L. LANGLEY. 

